In the books on prayer in Italian which are used here none of them have a meditation on Hell based on the Spiritual Exercises of St.Ignatius of Loyola.They only mention the four last things death, Judgement, Hell and Heaven.
HELL IS FULL
Hell is full for St.Ignatius.Unlike today's Jesuits Spiritual Directors, St.Ignatius of Loyola believed that most people are going to Hell.So the Trinity sent the Second Person to save all of us .For him Hell exists over a very large area and so there is space for millions of more people.
I was able to do the meditations on Hell, aside from my other prayers, in a silent atmosphere .For over a year or more I had done this meditation , off and on and on busy days.The Spiritual Exercises are a treasure. I'm grateful to a good Sister who handed me a little book of the Exercises in Italian. It has remained in my coat pocket for may be a year or more This was another grace.I am always wearing that coat which has a a large Miraculous Medal, pinned on the coat label.
The meditation on Hell is useful for perspective since the spirit of the world can infect us easily and gradually lead us into mortal sin. St. Ignatius teaches one to use all the senses in this meditation. He keeps this exercise simple. Feel the heat of the flames. See the persons in the flames. Hear their screams and blasphemies. Smell the sulphur and the putrid flesh.Feel the bad consciences and despair.
In a related section he says in Hell there are people who did not believe in the Second Coming of Christ. There are also those people in Hell who believed in Jesus but did not live the Commandments.He observes that in Hell there are people who believed in God!
St.Ignatius of Loyola believed in the dogma which indicates most people are oriented to Hell since they are not visible members of the Catholic Church.Many Catholics think this is no more the teaching of the Church. Yet this is the message of Vatican Council II (Ad Gentes 7) It says Jesus reaffirmed the necessity of 'faith and baptism' for salvation.Most of the people on earth do not have 'faith and baptism' at the time of death. The Catechism of the Catholic Church repeats the same message under the title Outside the Church no Salvation(846). So to reject these teachings would be hersey a mortal sin. Mortal sin according to St.Ignatius of Loyola.This teaching is related to the Nicene Creed in which we pray 'I believe in one baptism for the forgiveness of sin'.Dissent her is a mortal sin and puts one on the way to Hell without the Sacrament of Reconciliation.Jesus saves from Hell through the Sacraments of the Church,
Jesus mentions Hell many times in the New Testament.Descriptions of Hell in the Bible are similar to the meditations in the Spiritual Exercises of St.Ignatius of Loyola.It is also similar to the First Secret of Our Lady in the apparitions at Fatima.
-Lionel Andrades
FIFTH EXERCISE
IT IS A MEDITATION ON HELL
It contains in it, after the Preparatory Prayer and two Preludes, five Points and one Colloquy: Prayer. Let the Preparatory Prayer be the usual one. First Prelude. The first Prelude is the composition, which is here to see with the sight of the imagination the length, breadth and depth of Hell. Second Prelude. The second, to ask for what I want: it will be here to ask for interior sense of the pain which the damned suffer, in order that, if, through my faults, I should forget the love of the Eternal Lord, at least the fear of the pains may help me not to come into sin. First Point. The first Point will be to see with the sight of the imagination the great fires, and the souls as in bodies of fire. Second Point. The second, to hear with the ears wailings, howlings, cries, blasphemies against Christ our Lord and against all His Saints. Third Point. The third, to smell with the smell smoke, sulphur, dregs and putrid things. Fourth Point. The fourth, to taste with the taste bitter things, like tears, sadness and the worm of conscience. Fifth Point. The fifth, to touch with the touch; that is to say, how the fires touch and burn the souls. Colloquy. Making a Colloquy to Christ our Lord, I will bring to memory the souls that are in Hell, some because they did not believe the Coming, others because, believing, they did not act according to His Commandments; making three divisions: First, Second, and Third Divisions. The first, before the Coming; the second, during His life; the third, after His life in this world; and with this I will give Him thanks that He has not let me fall into any of these divisions, ending my life. Likewise, I will consider how up to now He has always had so great pity and mercy on me. I will end with an OUR FATHER. Note. The first Exercise will be made at midnight; the second immediately on rising in the morning; the third, before or after Mass; in any case, before dinner; the fourth at the hour of Vespers; the fifth, an hour before supper. This arrangement of hours, more or less, I always mean in all the four Weeks, according as his age, disposition and physical condition help the person who is exercising himself to make five Exercises or fewer.http://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/seil/seil15.htm
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